2026 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction

The 2026 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction went to Julia Elliott for Hellions, a short story collection published by Tin House. The prize honors fiction by women and non-binary writers in Canada and the United States and carries US$150,000 and a five-night stay at Fogo Island Inn. A jury chaired by Carmen Maria Machado, with Ivan Coyote, Cherie Dimaline, Chitra Divakaruni and Deesha Philyaw, chose the winner from a shortlist that also included The White Hot by Quiara Alegría Hudes, the graphic novel Cannon by Lee Lai, A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar and Lion by Sonya Walger. Each of the four other finalists received US$12,500, and the winner was announced on June 2, 2026, at a ceremony in Toronto.